1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to server computer monitoring, and in particular, to preventing failure in a server computer due to disturbance such as shock, vibration and/or seismic event.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technology advances, the complexity and number of electronic components inside computer environments has increased as has reliance on the availability of these computer environments to users. Computer downtimes or failures can cause catastrophic loss to end users. Mechanical and structural integrity of these computer environments is important to maintaining availability. Recent environmental and catastrophic events have encouraged computer system environment designers to design and implement structurally enhanced structures that can withstand sudden abnormal shock and vibration, such as those related to seismic events. A computer system may suffer data loss and system collapse which may affect lives and infrastructure. While some infrastructures may be able to withstand sudden sustained disturbance such as shock and vibration, disturbance to a computer system may occur over an extended period of time due to moving part failure within the computer environment.
Bearing failure in rotating machinery such as a blower of a server computer can induce high vibration. This vibration potentially induces failure to the other server components such as critical cards or induces connector wear. Normally, such bearing failure is a gradual degradation over time. Hence, it is desirable to introduce a solution which provides online monitoring and analyses of shock and vibration in a computer system and subsequent mediation measures. Shock to a server computer can also damage parts and cause machine failure.